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The Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) has confirmed that the Super Eagles’ trip to Uyo for their crucial World Cup qualifier against Benin Republic took an unexpected turn after their chartered ValueJet plane suffered a broken windshield mid-air on Sunday.
According to an official statement from the NFF, the team was on its way from Polokwane, South Africa, where it had faced Lesotho, when the incident occurred.
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The ValueJet flight, which had carried some members of the delegation to South Africa on Thursday, made a routine refueling stop in Luanda, Angola, before taking off again.
However, minutes after departure, the plane’s windshield broke due to the pressure, forcing the pilot to make a quick and safe emergency return to the Angolan capital.
“The pilot did an exceptional job in guiding the plane safely back to the airport,” the NFF revealed, adding that there were no injuries to the players or officials on board.
The situation, however, has delayed the team’s arrival in Uyo, where preparations for Tuesday’s crucial qualifying match were already in full swing. The NFF said ValueJet Airline is now collaborating with the Federal Government to send another plane from Lagos to retrieve the stranded delegation.
Government officials, including the Minister of Aviation, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, and the President’s Chief of Staff, are reportedly involved in ensuring that emergency landing and overflight permits are quickly obtained.
Despite the scare, NFF sources assured that morale within the camp remains high and that all the players are safe and calm while awaiting evacuation to Nigeria.
“It’s been a scary experience,” said one team member, “but fortunately, everyone is fine, and the focus now is to get to Uyo safely and win against Benin.”
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